Deal Band 1930

Looking through items stowed away over the years I have come across a very interesting item. It is an original programme of music played throughout an entire week in 1930 to mark the decision to disband the Depot Royal Marines Band and relocate the musicians from Deal to augment the Divisional Bands of Portsmouth, Plymouth & Chatham. Throughout the week the wind band played in the mornings before changing to the orchestra for evening concerts. The conductor for all was Lieutenant FJ Ricketts (Kenneth J Alford). The selection of music throughout was entertaining and varied. I must now decide what to do with this historic treasure. Corps Museum obviously springs to mind but my past experience with it leaves me wondering. I once offered them the Sir Henry Wood’s baton I was given when studying at the Royal Academy of Music for which I have total provenance. They didn’t want it because they said “He hadn’t been a Royal Marine”. They did however accept the upright V&A piano from my Eastney band room as well as an ivory baton with gold embellishments that had been presented by the King to FVD’s father when DOM of the Blues & Royals. Vivian had just left it at Eastney when he took over in Deal in 1950 seemingly only really interested in his own career that was about to blossom. I thought you would be personally interested in this today.

Coda: Just to be clear….. the ‘programme’ depicted has different selections of music on its pages for each of the fourteen concerts given throughout the week not just the two in the picture which are the concluding ones following which the Deal Band was no more.

Graham Hoskins